Family escapes three-alarm fire in Berkeley

Berkeley firefighters are watching over a fire that destroyed a duplex and forced five people out of their homes.

The fire erupted shortly after midnight in the rear of this house on Benvenue near Ashby Avenue. Police officers who were first on the scene went into the burning building and rescued a woman in a wheelchair. Nearby residents were also evacuated. Firefighters managed to keep the blaze confined to the house.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, however the initial reports indicate that it may have been cause by a propane tank in the rear of the house, the fire dispatcher said.